Articles & Write-ups

Are Ready-to-Eat Indian food products unhealthy?

2018-08-19T19:02:00.002-07:00

First of all, I must clarify that ready-to-eat Indian food products are hygienically processed and packed taking into consideration all international standards. So, definitely they are not unhealthy though they might be compromised slightly on nutrition. Frozen rotis are not good so its better to avoid them. Freshly baked rotis are advisable if you are able to get your hands on them. Rice is ok only if you are draining the excessive starchy water after cooking. In case of Ready-to-Eat products they are made in the same way the food is made at home, the only thing that is different in the product which enhances the product life is the packaging technology which is retort packaging. Retort packaging is a new kind of packaging which prevents the bacteria to grow overtime inside the food product. Also to top it up few companies fill in nitrogen in order to be absolutely safe as nitrogen acts as a safe preservative which hinders bacterial growth in food.

Eating out at Subway on regular basis is also not healthy. If you have access to a kitchen - nothing better than cooking for yourself. For one, the satisfaction that one gets out of appreciating one's efforts is incomparable. I have an experience in Toronto, Canada where a tiffin service provider Food Monks delivers home-style food, if you are residing or planning to travel to Toronto area you should try them.

Your Opinion vs Other's Opinion

2015-09-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

A teacher held a book in her hand and asked the 12th grade students what the colour of the book was. They replied in chorus,"black!".
The teacher exclaimed it was red. The students said that she was wrong and that the book was black. At this, the teacher turned the book the other way and it was red!
She then said,"put forth your opinion but don't say the other person is wrong before you've seen things from their perspective".

Loss of Memory

2015-02-26T05:05:00.001-08:00

Two elderly couples were enjoying friendly conversation when one of the men asked the other, "Fred, how was the memory clinic you went to last month?"

"Outstanding," Fred replied. "They taught us all the latest psychological techniques - visualization, association - it has made a big difference for me."

"That's great! What was the name of that clinic?"

Fred went blank. He thought and thought but couldn't remember. Then a smile broke across his face and he asked, "What do you call that flower with the long stem and thorns?"

"You mean a rose?"

"Yes, that's it!" Then he turned to his wife and asked, "Rose, what was the name of that clinic?

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Joe's Dilemma

2015-02-19T18:03:00.001-08:00

The doctor said, "Joe, the good news is I can cure your headaches. The bad news is that it will require castration. You have a very rare condition, which causes your testicles to press on your spine, and the pressure creates one hell of a headache. The only way to relieve the pressure is to remove the testicles."

Joe was shocked and depressed. He wondered if he had anything to live for. He couldn't concentrate long enough to answer, but decided he had no choice but to go under the knife.

When he left the hospital he was without a headache for the first time in 20 years, but he felt like he was missing an important part of himself. As he walked down the street, he realized that he felt like a different person. He could make a new beginning and live a new life. He saw a men's clothing store & thought, "That's what I need - a new suit."

He entered the shop and told the salesman, "I'd like a new suit." The elderly tailor eyed him briefly and said, "Let's see ... size 44 long." Joe laughed, "That's right, how did you know?" "Been in the business 60 years!" Joe tried on the suit. It fit perfectly.

As Joe admired himself in the mirror, the salesman asked, "How about a new shirt?" Joe thought for a moment and then said, "Sure." The salesman eyed Joe and said, "Let's see, 34 sleeve & 16-1/2 neck." Again, Joe was surprised, "That's right, how did you know?" "Been in the business 60 years!"

Joe tried on the shirt, and it fit perfectly. As Joe adjusted the collar in the mirror, the salesman asked, "How about new shoes?" Joe was on a roll and said, "Sure." The salesman eyed Joe's feet and said, "Let's see ... 9-1/2 E." Joe was astonished, "That's right, how did you know?" "Been in the business 60 years!"

Joe tried on the shoes and they fit perfectly. Joe walked comfortably around the shop and the salesman asked, "How about some new underwear?" Joe thought for a second and said, "Sure." The salesman stepped back, eyed Joe's waist and said, "Let's see... size 36."

Joe laughed. "Ah ha! I got you! I've worn size 34 since I was 18 years old." The salesman shook his head, "You can't wear a size 34. A size 34 underwear would press your testicles up against the base of your spine and give you one hell of a headache."

Presence Of Mind

2015-02-11T09:25:00.001-08:00

In the movie ‘The Schindler’s list’, a chicken goes missing in the ghetto. Hearing about this, the infamous Nazi Officer Amon Goeth gathers Jewish prisoners. He raises his rifle and demands the culprit to step forward. When no one does, he takes aim and shoots one of the Jews in the head. Then he shouts again for the thief to step forward. Still, no one comes forward. When he raises his rifle to shoot again, a boy steps forward shivering. Goeth walks to the boy and asks him if he stole the chicken. The boy stammers he didn’t, but he knows who did. Goeth smiles widely. The boy looks up and shouts “HIM” pointing to the bleeding corpse…

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The Case of 17 Camels

2015-02-02T07:45:00.001-08:00

A father left 17 Camels as an Asset for his Three Sons.

When the Father passed away, his sons opened up the will.

The Will of the Father stated that the Eldest son should get Half of 17 Camels,

The Middle Son should be given 1/3rd of 17 Camels,

Youngest Son should be given 1/9th of the 17 Camels,

As it is not possible to divide 17 into half or 17 by 3 or 17 by 9, the sons started to fight with each other.

So, they decided to go to a wise man.

The wise man listened patiently about the Will. The wise man, after giving this thought, brought one camel of his own & added the same to 17. That increased the total to 18 camels.

Now, he started reading the deceased father’s will.

Half of 18 = 9.
So he gave 9 camels
to the eldest son.

1/3rd of 18 = 6.
So he gave 6 camels
to the middle son.

1/9th of 18 = 2.
So he gave 2 camels
to the youngest son.

Now add this up:
9 + 6 + 2 = 17 &
This leaves 1 camel,
which the wise man took back.

MORAL: The attitude of negotiation & problem solving is to find the 18th camel i.e. the common ground. Once a person is able to find the common ground, the issue is resolved. It is difficult at times.

However, to reach a solution, the first step is to believe that there is a solution. If we think that there is no solution, we won’t be able to reach any!

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Originally written by Roshan

Finding Balloons & Happiness

2015-01-29T22:44:00.002-08:00

Once a group of 500 people were attending a seminar. Suddenly the speaker stopped and decided to do a group activity. He started giving each person a balloon. Each person was then asked to write their name on it using a marker pen. Then all the balloons were collected and put in another room.

The people were then let into that room and asked to find the balloon which had their name written on it within 5 minutes. Everyone was frantically searching for their name, colliding with each other, pushing around others and there was utter chaos.

At the end of 5 minutes no one could find their own balloon.
Then, the speaker asked each person to randomly collect a balloon and give it to the person whose name was written on it. Within minutes everyone had their own balloon.

The speaker then began, "This is happening in our lives. Everyone is frantically looking for happiness all around, not knowing where it is.

Our happiness lies in the happiness of other people. Give them their happiness; you will get your own happiness. And this is the purpose of human life...the pursuit of happiness."

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Everyone Has A Master

2013-12-20T03:27:00.001-08:00

There was a poor sculptor Zuan in a county called Zhouzhi. He resented his hard life, sitting in the sun and doing grunt work for the royals. He prayed everyday. After a long hard prayer, one day a fairy came.

Zuan asked to become the ultimate master who couldn't have anyone dictating terms to him. The fairy gave him a magic wand that will make him whomever he imagines to be.

Zuan got the magic wand and imagined to be the emperor of Xi'an. He has now become the emperor of Xian and starts having a happy life.

One day, he went on a hunting trip to a distant forest. There he was captured by a group of cannibals who captured him and took him to the tribal chieftain. Before the chieftain could order to kill him, he used the magic wand to become the chieftain as he felt the chieftain was more powerful than even a king.

He had a good life as a chieftain, until a regional warlord started harassing him. The warlord kept demanding more and more taxes. Zuan used his magic wand again and became the warlord.

His life as a warlord looked good until a day he was struck in massive storm. The rain ransacked his troops and he was left stuck in the devastating storm with nowhere to hide. Zuan imagined to become the cloud that caused the storm (as that was more powerful than the warlord).

Zuan now transformed into a cloud and started wandering around free. Then hit up on a big mountain and couldn't move further. He then desired to be the rock that could stop even the clouds. Zuan now felt really strong as he was the rock that made the big mountain.

On a hot sunny day, there were a big group of sculptors who came searching for nice rocks to carve. They started using the tools against the big rock of Zuan. As the rock started crumbling, Zuan imagined himself to be a sculptor. He became the sculptor once again.

Everyone has a master.

This is based on a Chinese parable that I read in class 6. One of the most powerful stories I have heard.

What Happens After You Drink A Can Of Soda

2012-07-20T21:46:00.000-07:00

This is what happens to your body within one hour of drinking a can of soda.

10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system, which is 100 percent of your recommended daily intake. You'd normally vomit from such an intake, but the phosphoric acid cuts the flavor.

20 minutes: Your blood sugar skyrockets. Your pancreas attempts to maximize insulin production in order to turn high levels of sugar into fat.

40 minutes: As your body finishes absorbing the caffeine, your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, and your liver pumps more sugar into the bloodstream. Adenosine receptors in your brain are blocked preventing you from feeling how tired you may actually be.

45 minutes: Your body increases dopamine production, causing you to feel pleasure and adding to the addictiveness of the beverage. This physical neuro response works the same way as it would if we were consuming heroin.

60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your lower intestine, which boosts your metabolism a bit further. High doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners compound this effect, increasing the urinary excretion of calcium. The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (You have to GO!) Your body will eliminate the bonded calcium, magnesium and zinc that was otherwise heading to your bones. And you will also flush out the sodium, electrolytes and water. Your body has eliminated the water that was in the soda. And in the process it was infused with nutrients and minerals your body would have otherwise used to hydrate your system or build body cells, bones, teeth.

The sugar crash begins. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You start feeling like crap. Time to grab another?

-- John Cassone, Ph.D.

7 Facts About Crying & Tears

2012-06-21T02:38:00.001-07:00

Crying is an emotional release and if you feel the need to cry you should let it out. Here are a few facts about the act of crying. I thought they were interesting, so of course I wanted to share.

1) Emotional tears have a different chemical composition than tears caused by irritants, such as onions.

2) Crying in public was considered normal until the Industrial Revolution, when diligent unemotional workers were needed to operate machinery.

3) Men's tear ducts are smaller than women’s tear ducts.

4) One major stress hormone released from the body via tears, prolactin, is found in much higher concentration in women's bodies than in men's. (This makes sense when you consider that the hormone is also implicated in the synthesis of breast milk).

5) Babies cry but they don't produce tears until one to three months after birth.

6) When a person cries and the first drop of tears comes from the right eye.

7) In Japan, crying for emotional release is all the rage, or so reports the Independent. The Japanese call it the "crying boom" - everyone wants a bit of sadness in their lives. Instead of going to a karaoke bar after work to wind down, businesspeople watch weepy films (called "tear films") at these crying clubs. There is also a huge demand for sad TV dramas and books, each graded by its ability to induce tears.

Why To Visit Temples? (Scientific Reason)

2012-04-03T02:00:00.000-07:00

There are thousands of temples all over India in different size, shape and locations but not all of them are considered to be built the Vedic way. Generally, a temple should be located at a place where earth's magnetic wave path passes through densely. It can be in the outskirts of a town/village or city, or in middle of the dwelling place, or on a hilltop. The essence of visiting a temple is discussed here.

Now, these temples are located strategically at a place where the positive energy is abundantly available from the magnetic and electric wave distributions of north/south pole thrust. The main idol is placed in the core center of the temple, known as "Garbhagriha" or Moolasthanam. In fact, the temple structure is built after the idol has been placed. This Moolasthanam is where earth's magnetic waves are found to be maximum. We know that there are some copper plates, inscribed with Vedic scripts, buried beneath the Main Idol. What are they really? No, they are not God's / priests' flash cards when they forget the shlokas. The copper plate absorbs earth's magnetic waves and radiates it to the surroundings. Thus a person regularly visiting a temple and walking clockwise around the Main Idol receives the beamed magnetic waves and his body absorbs it. This is a very slow process and a regular visit will let him absorb more of this positive energy. Scientifically, it is the positive energy that we all require to have a healthy life.

Further, the Sanctum is closed on three sides. This increases the effect of all energies. The lamp that is lit radiates heat energy and also provides light inside the sanctum to the priests or poojaris performing the pooja. The ringing of the bells and the chanting of prayers takes a worshiper into trance, thus not letting his mind waver. When done in groups, this helps people forget personal problems for a while and relieve their stress. The fragrance from the flowers, the burning of camphor give out the chemical energy further aiding in a different good aura. The effect of all these energies is supplemented by the positive energy from the idol, the copper plates and utensils in the Moolasthanam / Garbagraham. Theertham, the "holy" water used during the pooja to wash the idol is not
plain water cleaning the dust off an idol. It is a concoction of Cardamom, Karpura (Benzoin), zaffron / saffron, Tulsi (Holy Basil), Clove, etc...Washing the idol is to charge the water with the magnetic radiations thus increasing its medicinal values. Three spoons of this holy water is distributed to devotees. Again, this water is mainly a source of magneto-therapy. Besides, the clove essence protects one from tooth decay, the saffron & Tulsi leafs protects one from common cold and cough, cardamom and Pachha Karpuram (benzoin), act as mouth fresheners. It is proved that Theertham is a very good blood purifier, as it is highly energized. Hence it is given as prasadam to the devotees. This way, one can claim to remain healthy by regularly visiting the Temples. This is why our elders used to suggest us to offer prayers at the temple so that you will be cured of many ailments. They were not always superstitious. Yes, in a few cases they did go overboard when due to ignorance they hoped many serious diseases could be cured at temples by deities. When people go to a temple for the Deepaaraadhana, and when the doors open up, the positive energy gushes out onto the persons who are there. The water that is sprinkled onto the assemblages passes on the energy to all. This also explains why men are not allowed to wear shirts at a few temples and women are requested to wear more ornaments during temple visits. It is through these jewels (metal) that positive energy is absorbed by the women. Also, it is a practice to leave newly purchased jewels at an idol's feet and then wear them with the idol's blessings. This act is now justified after reading this article. This act of "seeking divine blessings" before using any new article, like books or pens or automobiles may have stemmed from this through mere observation.

Energy lost in a day's work is regained through a temple visit and one is refreshed slightly. The positive energy that is spread out in the entire temple and especially around where the main idol is placed, are simply absorbed by one's body and mind. Did you know, every Vaishnava(Vishnu devotees), "must" visit a Vishnu temple twice every day in their location. Our practices are NOT some hard and fast rules framed by 1 man and his followers or God's words in somebody's dreams. All the rituals, all the practices are, in reality, well researched, studied and scientifically backed thesis which form the ways of nature to lead a good healthy life.

The scientific and research part of the practices are well camouflaged as "elder's instructions" or "granny's teaching's" which should be obeyed as a mark of respect so as to once again, avoid stress to the mediocre brains.

Chemotherapy Is Not The Way To Cure Cancer - It Can Be Prevented

2012-02-01T21:08:00.000-08:00

LATEST CANCER INFORMATION: AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY...

[Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins ]

Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.
Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.
When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.
When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.
To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.
Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.
Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.
Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.
When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.
Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.
An effective way to battle cancer is to STARVE the cancer cells by not feeding it with foods it needs to multiple. What cancer cells feed on:

Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Note: Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.
Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk, cancer cells will starved.
Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.
A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes t o nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).
Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water--best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines will become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.
Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.
Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiving and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

--
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You're Never Too Old To Accomplish Your Dreams

2011-08-11T06:02:00.000-07:00

Well, here's 20 reasons, why you're never too old to accomplish your dreams...

At age 40, Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run, more than anyone had ever hit.
At age 41, Christopher Columbus landed in the New World.
At age 44, Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in chemistry.
At age 49, Mario Puzo published, The Godfather.
At age 52, Ludwig Van Beethovan composed the Ninth Symphony.
At age 53, Margaret Thatcher was elected Prime Minister of Britain--the first woman to hold that office. Yeah, Margaret!
At age 55, Alex Haley published Roots.
At age 57, Annie Peck climbed Mount Huascaran in the Andes. She was the first person to reach the top.
At age 59, Clara Barton founded the Red Cross.
At age 63, Francis Galton revealed to the world that no two people have the same fingerprints and revolutionized crime fighting in the process.
At age 64, John Pierpont Morgan formed U.S. Steel, the world's first billion dollar corporation.
At age 65, Laura Ingalls published Little House In the Big Woods, the first story in the popular "Little House on the Prairie," series.
At age 68, Clifford Batt swam the English Channel.
At age 69, Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace Prize.
At age 78, Grandma Moses began taking painting seriously. Soon afterward, her career took off.
At age 79, Benjamin Franklin invented the bifocals.
At age 92, George Burns starred in the movie, Eighteen Again.
At age 94, Leopold Stokowski signed a six-year contract to conduct music.
At age 95, Mother Jones, Union Organizer, wrote her famed biography.
At age 100, Ichijirou Araya climbed Mount Fuji.

Power of Positive Talk

2011-08-09T06:14:00.000-07:00

Amazing article from the GREAT ONE Mr. APJ KALAM

I remember my dad teaching me the power of language at a very young age. Not only did my dad understand that specific words affect our mental pictures, but he understood words are a powerful programming factor in lifelong success.
One particularly interesting event occurred when I was eight. As a kid, I was always climbing trees, poles, and literally hanging around upside down from the rafters of our lake house. So, it came to no surprise for my dad to find me at the top of a 30-foot tree swinging back and forth.. My little eight-year-old brain didn't realize the tree could break or I could get hurt. I just thought it was fun to be up so high.

My older cousin, Tammy, was also in the same tree. She was hanging on the first big limb, about ten feet below me. Tammy's mother also noticed us at the exact time my dad did. About that time a huge gust of wind came over the tree. I could hear the leaves start to rattle and the tree begin to sway. I remember my dad's voice over the wind yell, "Bart, Hold on tightly." So I did. The next thing I know, I heard Tammy screaming at the top of her lungs, laying flat on the ground. She had fallen out of the tree.

I scampered down the tree to safety. My dad later told me why she fell and I did not. Apparently, when Tammy's mother felt the gust of wind, she yelled out, "Tammy, don't fall!" And Tammy did. fall.

My dad then explained to me that the mind has a very difficult time processing a negative image. In fact, people who rely on internal pictures cannot see a negative at all. In order for Tammy to process the command of not falling, her nine-year-old brain had to first imagine falling, then try to tell the brain not to do what it just imagined. Whereas, my eight-year-old brain instantly had an internal image of me hanging on tightly.

This concept is especially useful when you are attempting to break a habit or set a goal. You can't visualize not doing something. The only way to properly visualize not doing something is to actually find a word for what you want to do and visualize that. For example, when I was thirteen years old, I played for my junior high school football team. I tried so hard to be good, but I just couldn't get it together at that age. I remember hearing the words run through my head as I was running out for a pass, "Don't drop it!" Naturally, I dropped the ball.

My coaches were not skilled enough to teach us proper "self-talk." They just thought some kids could catch and others couldn't. I'll never make it pro, but I'm now a pretty good Sunday afternoon football player, because all my internal dialogue is positive and encourages me to win. I wish my dad had coached me playing football instead of just climbing trees. I might have had a longer football career.

Here is a very easy demonstration to teach your kids and your friends the power of a toxic vocabulary. Ask them to hold a pen or pencil. Hand it to them. Now, follow my instructions carefully. Say to them, "Okay, try to drop the pencil." Observe what they do.

Most people release their hands and watch the pencil hit the floor. You respond, "You weren't paying attention. I said TRY to drop the pencil. Now please do it again." Most people then pick up the pencil and pretend to be in excruciating pain while their hand tries but fails to drop the pencil.

The point is made.

If you tell your brain you will "give it a try," you are actually telling your brain to fail. I have a "no try" rule in my house and with everyone I interact with. Either people will do it or they won't. Either they will be at the party or they won't. I'm brutal when people attempt to lie to me by using the word try. Do they think I don't know they are really telegraphing to the world they have no intention of doing it but they want me to give them brownie points for pretended effort? You will never hear the words "I'll try" come out of my mouth unless I'm teaching this concept in a seminar.

If you "try" and do something, your unconscious mind has permission not to succeed. If I truly can't make a decision I will tell the truth. "Sorry John. I'm not sure if I will be at your party or not. I've got an outstanding commitment. If that falls through, I will be here. Otherwise, I will not. Thanks for the invite."

People respect honesty. So remove the word "try" from your vocabulary.

My dad also told me that psychologists claim it takes seventeen positive statements to offset one negative statement. I have no idea if it is true, but the logic holds true. It might take up to seventeen compliments to offset the emotional damage of one harsh criticism.

These are concepts that are especially useful when raising children.
Ask yourself how many compliments you give yourself daily versus how many criticisms. Heck, I know you are talking to yourself all day long. We all have internal voices that give us direction..

So, are you giving yourself the 17:1 ratio or are you shortchanging yourself with toxic self-talk like, " I'm fat. Nobody will like me. I'll try this diet. I'm not good enough. I'm so stupid. I'm broke, etc. etc.."

If our parents can set a lifetime of programming with one wrong statement, imagine the kind of programming you are doing on a daily basis with your own internal dialogue.

Here is a list of Toxic Vocabulary words.

Notice when you or other people use them.

But: Negates any words that are stated before it.
Try: Presupposes failure.
If: Presupposes that you may not.
Might: It does nothing definite. It leaves options for your listener..
Would Have: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't actually happen.
Should Have: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't actually happen (and implies guilt.)
Could Have: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't actually happen but the person tries to take credit as if it did happen.
Can't/Don't: These words force the listener to focus on exactly the opposite of what you want. This is a classic mistake that parents and coaches make without knowing the damage of this linguistic error.

Examples:

Toxic phrase: "Don't drop the ball!"
Likely result: Drops the ball
Better language: "Catch the ball!"

Toxic phrase: "You shouldn't watch so much television."
Likely result: Watches more television.
Better language: "I read too much television makes people stupid. You might find yourself turning that TV off and picking up one of those books more often!"

Exercise: Take a moment to write down all the phrases you use on a daily basis or any Toxic self-talk that you have noticed yourself using. Write these phrases down so you will begin to catch yourself as they occur and change them.

The Right Attitude

2011-08-06T05:03:00.000-07:00

Many years ago in a small Indian village, A farmer had the misfortune Of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The Moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful Daughter. So he proposed a bargain.
He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his Daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the Proposal.
So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let Providence decide the matter.
He told them that he would put a black Pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would Have to pick one pebble from the bag.

If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.
If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.
But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into Jail.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's field. As They talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he Picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two Black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick A pebble from the bag.
Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have Done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you Have told her?

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag And expose the money-lender as a cheat.
The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order To save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with The hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral And logical thinking. The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with Traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.

What would you recommend to the Girl to do?

Well, here is what she did ....

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without Looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path Where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.
'Oh, how clumsy of me,' she said. 'But never mind, if you look into the Bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I Picked.'
Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had Picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his Dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into An extremely advantageous one.

Moral Of The Story: Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don't Attempt to think.

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Shake It Off And Take A Step Up

2011-08-05T04:36:00.000-07:00

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.
At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw.
With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing.
He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.
Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.
Live simply and appreciate what you have.
Give more.
Expect less

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Grow Along With Others, Not Grow At The Cost Of Others

2011-08-04T04:32:00.001-07:00

The Award Winning CORN There was a farmer who grew superior quality and award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won honor and prizes. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learnt something interesting about how he grew it.
The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. "How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked. "Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior, sub-standard and poor quality corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn." The farmer gave a superb insight into the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves. So it is in other dimensions! Those who choose to be at harmony must help their neighbors and colleagues to be at peace, those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all. If we are to grow good quality corn, we must help our neighbors grow good quality corn too.

Only way to grow in an Organization is - to grow along with others and not grow at the cost of others!

The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the limits of the impossible.

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A Marble Lesson

2011-07-30T00:45:00.000-07:00

There was this museum laid with beautiful marble tiles, with a huge marble statue displayed in the middle of the lobby. Many people came from all over the world just to admire this statue. One night, the marble tiles started talking to the marble statue.

Marble Tiles: Hey statue, it's just not fair. Why does everybody from all over the world come all the way here just to step on me while admiring you?
Marble Statue: My dear friend, marble tile, do u still remember that we were actually from the same cave?
Marble Tiles: Yes! that's why I feel it is even more unfair. We were born from the same cave and yet we receive different treatment now. Not fair!
Marble Statue: Then, do you still remember the day when the designer tried to work on you but you resisted the tools?
Marble Tiles : Yes, I hate that guy, how could he use those tools on me?
Marble Statue : Well, he couldn't work on you, when he decided to give up on you and start working on me instead. I knew at once that I would be something different after his efforts. I bore all the painful tools he used on me!
Marble Statue continued: My friend, there is a price to everything in life, since you decided to give up half way, you can't blame anybody who steps on you now.!

Moral: The harder the knocks you go through in life, the more you learn and put them to use in the future! Do not be discouraged by setbacks and failures. Don't resist change;embrace it. Who knows, these setbacks & failures and the fears that come with change may the tools for your success tomorrow!!

Define BIRTHDAY

2011-07-25T05:11:00.000-07:00

Fantastic answer by Dr Kalam to a question asked at the BBC,

Define BIRTHDAY...

Answer:

The only day in your life, when you cried and your Mother was smiling.

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The 101 Most Useful Websites

2011-07-25T04:20:00.000-07:00

The list primarily highlights the lesser-known or undiscovered websites and misses out all-time favorites like Google Docs, Wikipedia or IMDB that most of us are already aware of.
The sites mentioned below, well most of them, solve at least one problem really well and they all have simple web addresses (URLs) that you can easily learn by heart thus saving you a trip to Google.

screenr.com – record movies of your desktop and send them straight to YouTube.
bounceapp.com – for capturing full length screenshots of web pages.
goo.gl – shorten long URLs and convert URLs into QR codes.
untiny.me – find the original URLs that’s hiding behind a short URLs.
localti.me – know more than just the local time of a city
copypastecharacter.com – copy special characters that aren’t on your keyboard.
topsy.com – a better search engine for twitter.
fb.me/AppStore – search iOS app without launching iTunes.
iconfinder.com – the best place to find icons of all sizes.
office.com – download templates, clipart and images for your Office documents.
woorank.com – everything you wanted to know about a website.
virustotal.com – scan any suspicious file or email attachment for viruses.
wolframalpha.com – gets answers directly without searching – see more wolfram tips.
printwhatyoulike.com – print web pages without the clutter.
joliprint.com – reformats news articles and blog content as a newspaper.
isnsfw.com – when you wish to share a NSFW page but with a warning.
e.ggtimer.com – a simple online timer for your daily needs.
coralcdn.org – if a site is down due to heavy traffic, try accessing it through coral CDN.
random.org – pick random numbers, flip coins, and more.
mywot.com – check the trust level of any website – example.
viewer.zoho.com – Preview PDFs and Presentations directly in the browser.
tubemogul.com – simultaneously upload videos to YouTube and other video sites.
truveo.com – the best place for searching web videos.
scr.im – share you email address online without worrying about spam.
spypig.com – now get read receipts for your email.
sizeasy.com – visualize and compare the size of any product.
whatfontis.com – quickly determine the font name from an image.
fontsquirrel.com – a good collection of fonts – free for personal and commercial use.
regex.info – find data hidden in your photographs – see more EXIF tools.
tineye.com – this is like an online version of Google Googles.
iwantmyname.com – helps you search domains across all TLDs.
tabbloid.com – your favorite blogs delivered as PDFs.
join.me – share you screen with anyone over the web.
onlineocr.net – recognize text from scanned PDFs and images – see other OCR tools.
flightstats.com – Track flight status at airports worldwide.
wetransfer.com – for sharing really big files online.
pastebin.com – a temporary online clipboard for your text and code snippets.
polishmywriting.com – check your writing for spelling or grammatical errors.
awesomehighlighter.com – easily highlight the important parts of a web page.
typewith.me – work on the same document with multiple people.
whichdateworks.com – planning an event? find a date that works for all.
everytimezone.com – a less confusing view of the world time zones.
warrick.cs.odu.edu – you’ll need this when your bookmarked web pages are deleted.
gtmetrix.com – the perfect tool for measuring your site performance online.
imo.im – chat with your buddies on Skype, Facebook, Google Talk, etc. from one place.
translate.google.com – translate web pages, PDFs and Office documents.
youtube.com/leanback – enjoy a never ending stream of YouTube videos in full-screen.
similarsites.com – discover new sites that are similar to what you like already.
wordle.net – quick summarize long pieces of text with tag clouds.
bubbl.us – create mind-maps, brainstorm ideas in the browser.
kuler.adobe.com – get color ideas, also extract colors from photographs.
followupthen.com – setup quick reminders via email itself.
lmgtfy.com – when your friends are too lazy to use Google on their own.
tempalias.com – generate temporary email aliases, better than disposable email.
pdfescape.com – lets you can quickly edit PDFs in the browser itself.
faxzero.com – send an online fax for free – see more fax services.
feedmyinbox.com – get RSS feeds as an email newsletter.
isendr.com – transfer files without uploading to a server.
tinychat.com – setup a private chat room in micro-seconds.
privnote.com – create text notes that will self-destruct after being read.
flightaware.com – live flight tracking service for airports worldwide.
boxoh.com – track the status of any shipment on Google Maps – alternative.
chipin.com – when you need to raise funds online for an event or a cause.
downforeveryoneorjustme.com – find if your favorite website is offline or not?
example.com – this website can be used as an example in documentation.
whoishostingthis.com – find the web host of any website.
google.com/history – found something on Google but can’t remember it now?
errorlevelanalysis.com – find whether a photo is real or a photoshopped one.
google.com/dictionary – get word meanings, pronunciations and usage examples.
urbandictionary.com – find definitions of slangs and informal words.
seatguru.com – consult this site before choosing a seat for your next flight.
sxc.hu – download stock images absolutely free.
imo.im – chat with your buddies on Skype, Facebook, Google Talk, etc. from one place.
wobzip.org – unzip your compressed files online.
vocaroo.com – record your voice with a click.
scribblemaps.com – create custom Google Maps easily.
buzzfeed.com – never miss another Internet meme or viral video.
alertful.com – quickly setup email reminders for important events.
encrypted.google.com – prevent your ISP and boss from reading your search queries.
formspring.me – you can ask or answer personal questions here.
snopes.com – find if that email offer you received is real or just another scam.
typingweb.com – master touch-typing with these practice sessions.
mailvu.com – send video emails to anyone using your web cam.
ge.tt – quickly send a file to someone, they can even preview it before downloading.
timerime.com – create timelines with audio, video and images.
stupeflix.com – make a movie out of your images, audio and video clips.
aviary.com/myna – an online audio editor that lets record, and remix audio clips online.
noteflight.com – print music sheets, write your own music online (review).
disposablewebpage.com – create a temporary web page that self-destruct.
namemytune.com – when you need to find the name of a song.
homestyler.com – design from scratch or re-model your home in 3d.
snapask.com – use email on your phone to find sports scores, read Wikipedia, etc.
teuxdeux.com – a beautiful to-do app that looks like your paper dairy.
livestream.com – broadcast events live over the web, including your desktop screen.
bing.com/images – automatically find perfectly-sized wallpapers for mobiles.
historio.us – preserve complete web pages with all the formatting.
dabbleboard.com – your virtual whiteboard.
whisperbot.com – send an email without using your own account.
sumopaint.com – an excellent layer-based online image editor.
lovelycharts.com – create flowcharts, network diagrams, sitemaps, etc.
nutshellmail.com – Get your Facebook and Twitter streams in your inbox.

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Green Ideas - School of Art , Design and Media, Singapore

2011-07-23T04:21:00.000-07:00

University constructs a green roof as a gathering place.

Green design is an enormously popular trend in modern architecture, just take a look at this amazing green roof at the School of Art , Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore . This 5-story facility sweeps a wooded corner of the campus with an organic, vegetated form that blends landscape and structure, nature and high-tech and symbolizes the creativity it houses. The roofs serve as informal gathering spaces challenging linear ideas and stirring perception. The roofs create open space, insulate the building, cool the surrounding air and harvest rainwater for landscaping irrigation. Planted grasses mix with native greenery to colonize the building and bond it to the setting.

The curving green roofs distinguish the building from among the other structures on campus but the line between landscape and building is blurred. The roofs serve as informal gathering spaces challenging linear ideas and stirring perception. The roofs create open space, insulate the building, cool the surrounding air and harvest rainwater for landscaping irrigation. Planted grasses mix with native greenery to colonize the building and bond it to the setting.

Finishes are intentionally raw to act as a backdrop for the art, media and design projects. Concrete walls and columns, cement-sand screened floors, timber railings and a neutral palette define the interior spaces which vary in shape and size. This amazing design seems to offer a new experience at every elevation or perspective fulfilling the intent that a school for art should inspire creativity.

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Green Ideas - Bar Surya, London

2011-07-22T23:55:00.000-07:00

Disco pub gets electricity produced by people dancing at specially modified dance floor.

All the flashing strobes and pounding speakers at the dance club are massive consumers of electrical power. So Bar Surya, in London, re-outfitted its floor with springs that, when compressed by dancers, could produce electrical current that would be stored in batteries and used to offset some of the club's electrical burden. The club's owner, Andrew Charalambous, said the dance floor can now power 60 percent of the club's energy needs.

Certainly gimmicky, Club Surya reflects how aware everyone is becoming about global issues. It's really quite surprising that nobody thought of this earlier. This club is cool as an idea if not in substance.

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Why fee hike by IIMs is condemnable

2011-07-22T02:04:00.000-07:00

Citizens of India should come out of stupor and brainwash created by a corrupt and obliging media about pseudo liberalisation and globalisation. Madness,loot and plunder and irrational increase in prices is going on led by governments and their organisations. Never in history of India such outrageous extravaganza and loot was witnessed as under government of Man Mohan et.al.

Why IIM fees are not at all justified?

If a state affiliated college which is duly approved by AICTE or even an accredited college can successfully operate for fee of Rs 60 to 90 thousand per year, why IIM needs Rs 6 lacs per year almost 8-10 times of that
IIMs specially IIMA,IIM Kolkata and IIMB have been given free land and their huge assets have been already amortised.These are virtually free of cost.
These institutes are trying to continue Victorian age luxury and opulence somehow.They have huge land and other assets which is sheer waste in current urban realities. For MBA program the core facility is just two class rooms,one library,one computer lab,a couple of seminar rooms and one auditorium for a 60 students batch.Why IIMs need 130 acres of land and buildings worth 60 crores for just 200 seat intake is a riddle.It is sheer opulence and luxury.In fact IIMs are most unproductive set ups in country even much more than IITs.
The value addition in IIMs is questionable. It is the input of students each year that is their strength.
The budget of IIM-A for example of around Rs 80 crores is huge figure pointing to wastage and luxury.
IIMs are state promoted institutes and have to act as benchmark and control points in liberalised economy to check exploitation and price rise. But they are doing opposite.
What has happened that in last 6 years they have increased fee from 30,000 to Rs 6 lac or 20 times? It means inflation of 333% each year.
The fee hike in IIM is not the only concern.Comparing to their fee all fraudulent setups in private sector also hike fees to mint money and exploit markets.Now that fee has been increased,fraudulen t institutes will also hike fees quickly. This a criminal and negligent act on part of central government and IIM boards.It is anti national act and inflation causing phenomenon.IIMs have failed to get donations like in USA from society and Alumni who are stinking rich guys to fund their education cost.In fact these institutes are pseudo centres of excellence with only self claims and very low productivity of manpower and assets.
GOI should come out with a white paper on how to cost technical education in India with various metrics and norms and their reasonable cost currently so people of India know what is bare minimum cost of education.The madness of fraudulent liberalisation must stop.
India's GDP per capita is hardly Rs 40,000 and by that figure not even best Institute shoudl have fee more than rs 1.5 lacs.This is figure in USA. Education is as a policy a no-profit work in society.
The argument of IIMA board recently announced by Samir Barua that salary will hike by 2011 so student can payback fees is a pervert argument making education a commercial sale and a commission business.More salary- more my fee argument.What education has to do with salaries of students and their placements?are these placement shops taking their percentage?It is shameful and illogical argument.

It is time government of India intervene to restore sense in Indian economy management and put effective control on price hike of property,medicines, education and commodities to stop loot,plunder and mismanagement.

We are heading for crisis.

There is no recession in India having 120 crore population and unsatisfied demand.Just that by ridiculous and criminal rise of prices by 300-500% on almost everything in last 7 years has made people poor and unable to buy things.

The growth is being restricted to 5 % guys making rest poor.

Couple this with terrorism, failure of law and order and nion fucntiong judciary and Indian society has been taken to brink of disasaster by currtent governmmetn run by capiotalists and brainless people.

People shoudl ensure that congres sis wiped out from elections to punish them for several sins.

Indians must learn to reverse pice rise trend and come back to sensible levels as soon as possible.

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Green Ideas - Crown Plaza Hotel, Copenhagen

2011-07-21T23:53:00.000-07:00

Hotel offers free meal to guests who are willing to generate electricity

The Crown Plaza Hotel in Copenhagen , Denmark , is offering a free meal to any guest who is able to produce electricity for the hotel on an exercise bike attached to a generator. Guests will have to produce at least 10 watt hours of electricity - roughly 15 minutes of cycling for someone of average fitness. They will then be given meal vouchers worth $36 (26 euros).

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Knock the "t" Off the "Can't"

2011-06-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

Recently I took a sheet of paper and divided it into two columns: "Yes People" and "No People." Then I thought about individuals I knew and wrote their names in the appropriate column. What a shock it was to see the length of the "No" list.

These were the people who heard someone say, "You can't do that!" and they believed it.

Now they were saying, "It cannot be done!" and their negativity was affecting the lives of others.

If your friends made such a list right now, under which heading would they write your name? Do they see you as enthusiastic, affirmative and optimistic? Or do they believe you are see more problems than solutions?

It's time to knock the "t" off the "can't". I like the words of author Frank Hughes: "I will say this about being an optimist; even when things don't turn out well, you are certain they will get better."

You are only a decision away from responding with hope instead of fear, with encouragement instead of criticism, with belief instead of despair. It's your choice.

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